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The last nine times LeBron James’ teams have lost the first game of a playoff series, the team has rebounded to win the second game, including Game 2 of last year’s NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

New Kings coach Dave Joerger’s coaching staff includes three members of his staff in Memphis last season. Elston Turner, Duane Ticknor and Jason March will join holdovers Corliss Williamson and Nancy Lieberman and former Kings assistant Bryan Gates, the team announced Friday.

Republic FC is 4-0-1 all time at the LA Galaxy II’s home field in Carson. But Republic FC is only so-so at Bonney Field, where Los Dos has a two-match winning streak entering Saturday night’s USL contest at the Cal Expo stadium.

The athletic director at Sacramento City College from 1961 to 1993, Dick Pierucci cultivated a culture of unparalleled community college success, fostering an impression that a two-year school could feel every bit like a slice of the big time. Pierucci died Monday. He was 87.

Elk Grove High School belted Tracy 14-0 in Game 1 of a best-of-three Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship series, placing it a step closer to more dog-pile celebration fun. Game 2 is at 10 a.m. on Saturday at University of the Pacific in Stockton, with a third game to follow, if needed.

The San Jose Sharks, who trail the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, have struggled with faceoffs in the series, winning just 46 percent, the same rate they’ve had in the playoffs. That’s the lowest mark of any team in the postseason.

The Houston Astros jumped on A’s starter Jesse Hahn for seven runs in the first inning and cruised to a 12-2 victory. Hahn (2-3) allowed six hits and a career-high seven runs while recording just two outs in the shortest start of his career.

Johnny Cueto issued a season-worst five walks on Friday but was otherwise solid over six innings to help the Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 and improve to 9-1. Cueto is among four nine-game winners, joining Stephen Strasburg, Jake Arrieta and Chris Sale.